Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association relief news from Honduras.
Unusually heavy autumn rains caused rivers to burst their banks in the Central American country, forcing thousands of families to flee their homes and abandon inundated crop fields.

Storm victim (F): We have had 13 days of rain day and night without stopping, and all the roads are destroyed.
Storm victim (M): The weather situation trapped us, and we could not go out to find food, nothing, nothing for food.

VOICE: Supreme Master Ching Hai first donated US$10,000 on October 2, asking that our nearby Association members bring emergency aid to those most in need. As the rains continued, affecting thousands more households, Supreme Master Ching Hai responded to an appeal for additional aid from Governor Vilma Aguilar
of the Department of Choluteca by providing another US$15,000 on October 20.

The US$25,000, when combined with our US Association members’ contributions of US$13,500, totaled US$38,500, which could purchase US$435,000 in materials if obtained in the United States, based on Honduras’ cost of living.

Supreme Master Ching Hai also reimbursed US$2,000 in travel expenses for relief team members coming from Costa Rica and Colombia. The combined relief team was able to distribute food supplies for 4,600 families in the Department of Choluteca as well as municipalities throughout the departments of Paraiso and Valle, serving places for the elderly, disabled, and children in need.

Governor Vilma Aguilar – Choluteca, Honduras (F): I want to thank greatly, really, the Supreme Master Ching Haifor the opportunity that provides to all these residents, since she benefited the entire Department of Choluteca.

Roberto Castillo – Mayoral representative, Morolica (M): We thank Master Ching Hai for the help received. We have been cut off, 100% of our communities. With this help we will be able to reduce the shortage of food that we have in this area.

Relief recipient (M): Our kids were a bit distressed by the lack of food. Thanks to you we will have something to help our children, to give them food.

Young relief recipient (M):Thank you, Master, for the help.

VOICE: With join in appreciation for Supreme Master Ching Hai's unconditional assistance and our Association’s relief team for their caring endeavors. Our prayers for the smooth restoration of regular day-to-day lives to the flood-hit regions and that such disasters are avoided through our gentler care
of the environment.